Description
Need to use up leftover rice? Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice is full of Thai spicy flavor that will wake up your weeknight dinner rut!
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly chopped into bite-size pieces
3 tbsp. oyster sauce
STIR-FRY SAUCE
2–3 tbsp oyster sauce
2–3 tbsp fish sauce
2–3 tbsp Thai dark soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
Thai Chili Garlic Paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
2–6 Thai chili peppers minced, to spice preference
Fried Rice
4 tbsp. cooking oil of choice, coconut oil, or avocado oil are our favs!, divided
3 cups of cooked day old jasmine rice or white rice
1/2 cup of diced onion
1 red pepper sliced into 1/4 in. pieces
Toppings
2-3 cups Thai holy basil, reserve a 3 leaves per serving or so to sprinkle on the top of each serving
1 quartered lime (optional)
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
Marinate the thinly sliced 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 3 tbsp. of oyster sauce for at least 20 minutes to overnight.
make the Stir-Fry Sauce
In a glass measuring cup or in a bowl, mix up the stir-fry sauce of 2-3 tbsp Thai Oyster Sauce, 2-3 tbsp Fish Sauce, 2-3 tbsp Thai dark soy sauce, and 1 tbsp sugar.
In a mortar and pestle, pound up the 2-6 minced Thai chilies (totally up to you the spice level you can handle) and 4 minced garlic cloves until a paste has formed.
If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, use a mini food chopper, or use the side of a chef’s knife to smash them together some.
Stir-Fry the chicken
Add 2 tbsp of cooking oil of choice to a wok warmed up over medium high heat.
Add in about half of the Thai chili garlic paste and stir-fry until it starts making you cough from the Thai chili heat! Lol!
Add in the marinated chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink and cooked through.
Take out the chicken and place it on a plate.
Make the Fried Rice
To the same wok you just stir-fried your chicken in, no need to clean it out, add in 2 tbsp. of cooking oil of choice and put it over medium high heat.
Add in the rest of the Thai chili garlic paste, 1/2 cup of diced onion, 1 red pepper that you sliced into 1/4 in. pieces, and stir-fry again until you are coughing and the onion and pepper have softened.
Add in more cooking oil if needed, and then the 3 cups of cooked day old jasmine or white rice and stir it up until combined and is warmed through.
Add back in the chicken, and now the the stir-fry sauce a little at a time, until you get the flavor you want without the rice getting mushy. You might have some leftover to use on another stir-fry later this week.
Turn off the heat, and add the 2-3 cups of Thai Holy Basil and mix it up until the Holy Basil has wilted.
Enjoy!
Plate it with a wedge of lime to squeeze over the serving, and if you want sprinkle with extra Thai holy basil leaves.
Notes
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Avoid mushy rice: Always use day-old rice! And make sure you take out the chicken before adding in the rice. Your fried rice will get mushy if there are too many ingredients in your wok because then there is too much moisture. If you need more tips on making fried rice, check out my 5 tips on how to make perfect fried rice post!
- Adjust the spice: You can always add in Thai chilies but you can’t take them out! Start with one or two if you aren’t sure about how much spicy you like, and then add more. If you love spicy and those you are eating with don’t, which is the case for me since I love it, but my kids don’t, I always make Nam Pla Prik, which is a Thai spicy saucethat you can add to taste to your serving!
Additions and Substitutions
- Jasmine rice substitute: white rice, or basmati
- Chicken breast substitute: thinly sliced pork, or beef, or ground meat of choice, or fried tofu
- Thai basil substitute: Thai basil, or sweet basil, but it will have a milder flavor.
- Fish sauce substitute: 1/2 tbsp soy sauce + 1/2 tbsp vinegar of choice (except balsamic) + a pinch of salt, or coconut aminos will work.
- Thai chili peppers substitute: serrano peppers
- Thai dark soy sauce substitute: 1/2 tbsp soy sauce + 1/2 tbsp molasses or brown sugar
- Oyster sauce substitute: 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1/2 tbsp soy sauce mixed together
- Vegetarian: Swap the chicken with tofu and use soy sauce instead of fish sauce.
- Gluten-Free: Use coconut amnios instead of the dark soy sauce and add some extra brown sugar. Use gluten free oyster sauce.
Hey dear! I hope you love this Thai basil chicken fried rice! After you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Happy Thai Cooking!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Thai
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Thai